By Peroshni Govender
A lekker dictionary containing all the bakgat South African words has hit the bookstores.
The collection of about 1 500 local words is a bonsella published in the latest edition of the Concise Oxford Dictionary, "the ultimate authority on South African English".
Veruschka Selbach, of Oxford University Press Southern Africa, said: "This is an interesting dictionary which contains commonly used South African words."
The words, which will add a new flavour to the dictionary, are a mixture of African, Afrikaans, English and Indian languages. They are widely accepted and commonly used in everyday South African conversations.
For those not versed with South Africanisms, the dictionary will help to clear things up.
Like this unfathomable sentence: "I was in the dwang after the kerels bust me and a chommie with insangu."
Translated it means: "I was in trouble after the police bust me and a friend with cannabis".
The dictionary also probes the origins of words. For example, nunu is a Zulu word which originated in KwaZulu Natal, where it means any insect. In Zulu it is inunu, meaning "horrible object" or "animal", "monster" or "bogy".
So, girls, if your boyfriend uses nunu in its lighter meaning, as a term of endearment and affection, think again - his motives might be sinister!
Another inclusion is the word babalaas, Afrikaans slang for hangover. But it isn't originally an Afrikaans word; it was borrowed from the Zulu word ibhabhalazi, which also illustrates the unpleasantness of over-drinking.
Other interesting words include buppie (the black version of a yuppie); gatvol (extremely fed up or disgusted); hardegat (stubborn or arrogant) and mal (crazed or angry).
If you aren't versed in the South African terms around business, the dictionary is beneficial for a quick reference.
If the bosberaad (a long-term planning meeting held away from the office), indaba (meeting or discussion) or imbizo (gathering called by a traditional leader) starts late, it's probably "African time".
So, if you scheme it would be lekker to buy your chommie a moerse present for Christmas, this dictionary would be the perfect gift at R250.